Pearson helps launch Cooper Union scholarship

NEW YORK, NY Recognized for her mentorship and support of architecture and design, architect Anik Pearson, AIA, has launched the latest round of fundraising for a new scholarship initiative developed in conjunction with her alma mater, The Cooper Union. To be awarded for the first time this coming academic year, the annual endowed scholarship supports an incoming architecture student for their entire time at the school, in perpetuity. Named in honor of professor emerita Sue Ferguson Gussow, The Cooper Union’s first tenured female faculty member, the scholarship initiative was launched in late 2016 by Pearson and two of her architecture school classmates, Michael Samuelian and Elizabeth Graziolo. They raised over $100,000 from alumni within a year. 

The latest fundraising campaign seeks to bring the Sue Ferguson Gussow Scholarship fund to its target goal of $400,000, aided by Cooper Union leadership that every donation in this fiscal year will be matched, up to $4 million. 

The institutional backing increases the fund’s ability to support students who otherwise might not have access to a Cooper Union education.

“A strong design education forms the foundation for a successful career as a thoughtful, creative practitioner,” said Pearson. “As someone who’s felt firsthand the impact of a committed and passionate teacher like Professor Gussow, it feels especially important to help budding young designers gain access to these formative experiences. Creating this scholarship is the perfect way to celebrate the legacy of a pioneering teacher while helping pave the way for the next generation.”

This scholarship is the latest in a long line of efforts by Anik Pearson and her firm, Anik Pearson Architect, aimed at supporting emerging architects, both in the educational sphere and in professional practice. Other initiatives include a new mentoring program for emerging women practitioners, which will be launched this year. Pearson is also a board member of the New York State Office of the Professions, implementing standards for architect registration, examination, internships and professional practice. 

Pearson’s partners in the Sue Ferguson Gussow Scholarship initiative are architects Michael Samuelian, president of The Trust for Governors Island, and Elizabeth Graziolo, partner at Peter Pennoyer Architects.